Gauge attachment for sewing machines



W. RAKOV Sept. 20, 1938.

GAUGE ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed NOV. 3, 1937 BY I M & M

ATTORNEYS V. R um mR M A 3 I. W W u T I m Patented Sept. 20, 1938 NlTED ST'EES ATENT OFFICE GAUGE ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in a gauge attachment for sewing machines and pertains more particularly to a gauge adapted to be releasably and adjustably secured to the presser foot of a sewing machine for determining the line of stitches with respect to the edge of the work or material being stitched.

The main object of the invention is to provide a gauge, which is simple, durable, and economical in construction, adapted to be removably attached to the presser foot of a sewing machine.

A further object is to provide simple and efficient means for releasably and adjustably securing the gauge to the presser foot whereby said gauge may be quickly and easily adjusted with respect to the presser foot to bring the same into different predetermined spaced relationships with said presser foot and the needle associated therewith.

In carrying out the above mentioned objects I have provided a gauge comprising a supporting bar, a gauge finger, and a. spring secured to the bar and releasably engaging said finger for maintaining the finger on the bar. The gauge finger is arranged to extend substantially normal from the bar and to have limited movement toward and from said bar to compensate for pieces of work or" different thicknesses, whereby a line of stitching may be produced in such work without manually adjusting the gauge finger with respect to the supporting bar to compensate for said variations in the thicknesses of the work. Furthermore the gauge finger is provided in a limited swinging movement relative to the supporting bar to compensate for any slight variation in the position of the bar with respect to the horizontal.

Other objects and advantages pertaining to the detail structure of the device and to the form and relation of the parts thereof will more readily appear from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

' Figure l is a perspective view of a presser foot with with my novel gauge attachment mounted thereon.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the presser foot shown in Figure l with the gauge attach- 50 nient removed therefrom.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the gauge attachment.

Figure 4 is a detail vertical central sectional View taken through the presser foot substantially 55 on line ll, Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional View taken substantially on line 55, Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a detail horizontal sectional view taken on line 66, Figure 5.

Figure '7 is a detail horizontal sectional view 5 taken substantially on line 1-1, Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on line 88, Figure 6.

Referring now to the details of the structure shown in the drawing, the numeral It] indicates the presser foot of the sewing machine constructed in accordance with this invention and which may be attached to the usual presser bar II of the sewing machine in any suitable manner as by a screw, not shown. This screw usually ex- 15 tends through a vertically disposed slot l2 formed in the upper end portion of the shank I3 of the presser foot at one side thereof into screwthreaded engagement with the presser bar II. The presser foot ill is of usual construction with 20 the exception that it is provided with a vertically disposed recess l5 formed in the lower portion of the shank l3 at the outer side thereof. The presser foot also has a recess l6 formed. in the upper face of the horizontal portion M at the 25 inner side thereof adjacent the shank l3 and which registers with the lower end of the recess l5. A flat spring H is mounted in the recess I5 with the lower end thereof projecting into the I recess l8, spring ll being secured in said recess 50 I5 by a rivet 53 extending through aligned holes provided in the shank l3 and in the upper end portion of spring ll. The lower end of spring i1 is provided with a beveled edge I? extending across the spring in opposed substantially parallel relation with the opposite or outer vertical edge iii of the recess E6. The edge i8 is tapered from the upper surface of the horizontal portion M of the presser foot downwardly and outwardly to form a beveled edge similar to the edge H of spring H.

The lower end portion of the spring I! is adapted to be moved outwardly from the recess l5 toward the edge 58 of the recess 16 by means of a set screw 20 mounted in the adjacent portion of the shank E3. The screw 26 is preferably provided with a knurled head 2! which forms a convenient finger piece by which the screw may be manually rotated In order that the screw 29 may be maintained in permanent connection with the presser foot the inner or front end of the screw is upset to provide a laterally disposed flange or head 22 which is adapted to register, when the screw is in its rearmost inoperative position, in a recess 23 provided in the shank l3 adjacent the lower end of the recess l5. The thickness of the recess l5 and spring I! are preferably substantially equal so that when the spring is in its normal position, the same is wholly contained within said recess with the outer vertical front side thereof extending substantially flush with the corresponding surface of the shank I3.

The numeral 24 indicates the gauge attachment which, as shown, comprises a relatively thin flat supporting bar 25 adapted to be slidably received in recess Hi. The bar 25 is provided with a pair of shoulders 26 at opposite sides thereof intermediate the ends of the bar and which divide said bar into an outer end or handle portion 25 and an inner end or supporting portion 25". The longitudinal side edges 21 of the inner end portion 25 of the bar are tapered from the bottom side of the bar upwardly and inwardly to conform to the beveled edge !8 of the slot l6 and the beveled edge ll of the spring H, as indicated in Figure 4. The width of the inner end portion 25 of the bar is slightly less than the width of the recess I5 when the spring I! is in its normal inoperative position. The bar will, therefore, freely slide through the recess when the spring is in said normal position. Furthermore the bar may be readily clamped to the presser foot by rotating the screw 25 in a direction to press the lower end of the spring I! into engagement with the bar.

The inner end portion 25" of the bar 25 is provided with a graduated scale 29, upon the upper surface thereof, adapted to align with the inner vertical edge of the spring |l to enable the operator to easily and properly set the gauge with respect to the presser foot and to the needle, not shown, of the sewing machine co-operating with said presser foot.

Mounted on the supporting bar 25 is a gauge finger 3B which in this instance is a relatively thin plate-iike member having an aperture 3| formed therein intermediate the ends thereof and preferably in greater spaced relation to the front end of the finger than to the rear end thereof. The aperture 3| is of considerably greater vertical length than the thickness of the bar 25, While the width of the aperture is substantially equal to or slightly less than the normal width of the end portion 25" of said bar.

In order, therefore, that the bar portion 25" may be mounted in the aperture 3| with the upper and lower surfaces thereof extending substantially parallel to the upper and lower surfaces of the aperture, the bar is provided with a pair of recesses 32 in the outer vertical edges thereof adjacent the shoulders 257 These recesses 32 are preferably V-shape and the vertical side walls of the aperture 3| are correspondingly shaped, as at 53, to provide a close sliding fit between the bar 25 and the finger 35. These recesses and walls co-act with the shoulders 25 for holding the gauge finger on the bar 25 against movement longitudinally of said bar and at the same time permit the finger to move vertically with respect to the bar. The bar 25 is yieldingly maintained at the upper end of the aperture 3| by means of a flat spring member 35 mounted on the under side of the outer end portion 25' of the bar. The spring has the outer end thereof secured to the outer end of the bar 25 by rivet 36. The spring extends forwardly and downwardly from the rivet 35 into the aperture 3| into engagement with the lower side of said aperture as shown in Figure 5.

The front or free end 3l' of the spring 35 mounted in the aperture 3| has the opposite side edges thereof provided with V-shape notches or recesses 37 as illustrated in Figure 7, and conforms to the cross sectional contour of the aperture 3| to thereby secure the finger 3|] to the spring. The length of the spring 35 from the rivet 35 to the end 31 thereof, is such that when said end of the spring is in engagement with the aperture 3| the finger 35 will be maintained substantially normal to the upper and lower surfaces of the bar 25. The recesses or notches 3'! are so constructed that the outer edge of the end 31 of the spring 35 will be maintained substantially fiush with the corresponding side surface of the finger 35, that is the side of the finger adjacent the presser bar and which engages the edge of the cloth or work to guide the same during the stitching operation.

The bar 25 and spring 35 may be operatively connected with the gauge finger 3|! in any suitable manner. For instance, if the spring is secured to the handle portion 25 of the bar 25, the free end 37 of the spring is pressed tightly against the bar 25 and then the end portion 25 of the bar is inserted into the aperture 3| while maintaining the bar in diagonal relation with respect to the apei As the side walls of the aperture register with the recesses 32 the bar and spring may be brought into proper interlocked position in the aperture by rotating the bar and spring relative to the gauge finger.

If on the other hand the spring is not secured to the bar, the bar may be first connected with the gauge finger 36 in a manner explained above, after which the end 31 of the spring may be inserted in said aperture, while in diagonal relation thereto and then brought into locked relation with the aperture by rotating said spring with respect to the gauge finger. The spring may then be secured to the bar by use of the rivet 36 or other suitable means.

It will now be apparent that the gauge can be used at either side of the presser foot by merely inserting the bar 25 while holding the same by the handle portion 25 into the recess l5 and clamping the gauge in predetermined relation with the presser foot by tightening the set screw 25. When it is not desired to use the gauge it can be qmckly removed from the presser foot by simply loosening the set screws 28 and then withdrawing the bar 25 from the recess |5. After the operator has mounted the attachment on the presser foot, the bar 25 is adjusted with respect to the presser foot to bring the gauge finger 35 a distance from the needle which it is desired to place the row of stitches from the edge of the fabric or other material to be stitched. The bar is then clamped in the recess it by the set screw 25 and spring i! so that the gauge is securely held in the adjusted position.

The gauge finger normally projects beyond the lower plane of the presser foot a distance at least equal to that of the greatest thickness of the material to be stitched, within the capacity of I the sewing machine It, therefore, follows that when the presser foot is lowered in the conventional manner into operative engagement with the material to be sewed the gauge finger 3|) will first come into contact with and rest upon the upper surface of the sewing machine case or frame B as indicated by full lines in Figure 5. As the presser foot continues its downward movement into pressure engagement with the material to be stitched the gauge finger 30 will be maintained in a vertical upright position by the CPL co-action of the spring and bar 25 While said bar will move downwardlyjwith respect to the gauge finger through the opening 3| until the presser foot comes to the at rest position as indicated by broken lines in Figure 5 It is thus seen that the gauge finger is not only maintained in proper position for guiding the material during the stitching operation but it is also adapted to automatically adjust itself without attention on the operators part to compensate for materials of different thickness.

Although the construction and operation of my novel gauge attachment are particularly simple, practical, and efiicient, I do not wish to be limited to the exact details thereof shown, as it is evident that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a stitching gauge for sewing machines, a a supporting bar having one end portion thereof adapted to be adjustably connected with the presser foot of the sewing machine, the other end portion of said bar providing a handle by which said bar may be manually held during the connection and disconnection of said bar with the presser foot, said supporting bar having a stop element at the junction of said inner and outer portions thereof, a gauge finger having an aperture receiving a portion of the bar adjacent said stop element therethrough and adapted to permit vertical movement of the bar with respect to said gauge finger, and spring means secured to the under side of said handle portion of the bar engaging in said aperture and cooperating with said stop element for operatively connecting the gauge finger with the bar so as to project downwardly from said bar substantially normal thereto 2. A stitching gauge as in claim 1 wherein the supporting bar is provided with a recess in the side thereof adjacent said stop element and said aperture is of a horizontal width corresponding to the width of the bar at said recess and a vertical length slightly greater than the width of the inner end portion of said supporting bar whereby the gauge finger may be releasably mounted on the bar by longitudinal and angular movement of said finger with respect to said bar.

3. A one-piece presser foot having its lower face formed to provide a continuous presser surface and its upper face provided with a groove extending transversely thereof adjacent the shank of said presser foot, said shank having a recess in the front side thereof extending up wardly from said groove, a flat spring member mounted in said recess with the lower end thereof extending into said groove adjacent one side thereof, means engaging the upper end portion of said spring member for securing said spring member to the shank of the presser foot with the front side of the spring substantially flush with the corresponding side of the presser foot shank and a screw connected with the shank and engageable with the lower end portion of said spring for moving said end of the spring toward the opposite side of the groove for clamping an attachment member to the presser foot.

4. In an attachment means of the class described, the combination with a presser foot having a groove therein extending transversely thereof adjacent the shank of the presser foot, a supporting bar member having the inner end portion thereof adapted to slidably extend through said groove and an outer end portion providing a handle, a relatively thin fiat gauge member, and means operatively connecting the gauge member to said bar member at the junction of said end portions thereof including a relatively narrow neck section on one of said members and an aperture in the other one of said members slidably receiving said neck section therein and a spring connected with the handle portion of the bar and having interlocking engagement with said gauge member adapted to urge said gauge member downwardly with respect to the bar member for normally maintaining the lower edge of said gauge member in a plane below the presser foot.

WILLIAM RAKOV. 

